Spirits

The guitar on Spirits does not play it safe: it seems to leap from the speakers without ever losing its poise. After two instrumental numbers, Morizono's fourth album under his own name turns more decisively toward AOR. “Todokanu Omoi” has a laid-back, mellow-funk feel, its slightly bittersweet mood carried by his dry, husky voice.

He is not a showy singer, and that is precisely why the song works. The guitar remains expressive, the instrumentals elsewhere are compact and well judged, and the record makes a simple point: Morizono is far more than a fusion technician.